LADIES OF THE GOLDFIELD STOCK EXCHANGE Based on actual events, LADIES is a fast-paced story of three women who dare to risk it all for their dreams. In 1906, Goldfield is the last great gold strike on the mining western frontier where as much money is made trading stock as digging gold. Among the thousands there to make their fortunes are three women who, barred from the stock exchanged, defy convention and start their own. Downing's fictionalized characters include Meg Kendall, only a few weeks from starting medical studies at Johns Hopkins, who got waylaid in Goldfield after her father died in a mine accident; Tess Wallace, a former prostitute and saloon keeper who has a daughter to raise; and Verna Bates, who moved to the sweltering mining camp to take over one of its newspapers. Aggravated by the fees imposed on small investors who are unable to afford 100-share lots of mining stocks, they and a few other women establish a separate exchange through which smaller lots can be bought and sold. At first rebuked by male traders, the Ladies' Goldfield Stock Exchange is flooded with orders once it lists mines not available elsewhere. Although only a short-lived venture, the exchange demonstrated what determined women could achieve during the early years of this century.* A new feature: Behind the Scenes! BUY THE BOOK through Booksense (support an independent bookstore!). PRAISE "A superbly written novel...."    —BookNews from The Poisoned Pen "Feisty young protagonists; perfect for fans of TV's Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."    —Booklist "Sybil Downing gives us an eye into the lives of these women in a delightful and memorable novel."    —Women's Magazine "An engaging tale of three women—each with her own past, motives and set of strengths and weaknesses—who succeed in a man's world."    —Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph * Description from Booklist